This invention relates to a process for the partial or total prevention of an increase in the content of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood of mammals (including man) receiving dietary cholesterol, and to a process for decreasing the content of cholesterol and triglycerides of mammals having elevated levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood. Hereinafter when we speak of decreasing the concentration of blood cholesterol and triglycerides, we mean either or both of the foregoing.
More specifically, the process of this invention relates to the incorporation of yeast cells, fractured yeast cells, and fractions of yeast into the diet of mammals to partially or totally prevent an increase in blood cholesterol and triglycerides which normally occurs when cholesterol is incorporated into the diet. This process also relates to the reduction of the level of blood cholesterol and triglycerides in mammals having elevated blood cholesterol and triglycerides content.
The medical community regards elevated blood cholesterol and triglycerides as one of the major factors associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease in humans. The condition of elevated blood cholesterol and triglycerides is referred to as hypercholesterolemia and hyperlipidemia, respectively. Agents which prevent an increase or causes a decrease in blood cholesterol and triglycerides are called hypocholesterolemic and hypolipidemic agents, respectively.
Known dietary hypocholesterolemic agents may be divided into three classes according to their mode of action. One class is those compounds that inhibit endogenus synthesis of cholesterol. These compounds have the disadvantage of preventing the synthesis of cholesterol in those body tissues that need cholesterol. A second class is those compounds which inhibit the uptake of cholesterol in the intestine by competing with cholesterol for binding sites. A third class is those materials that interact with bile salts to prevent the recirculation of bile salts to the liver and thereby favor the increased excretion of cholesterol by its conversion to bile acids. It is generally believed that the hypocholesterolemic effect of many dietary fibers is due to their ability to interact with cholic acid, and that the decrease in the fiber content of the human dietary in this century may relate to the increase in coronary heart disease. The exact nature of the mechanism of the hypocholesterolemic effect of yeast and yeast fractions is not known at this time.